Sub-zero temperatures grip central and northeastern US in Arctic blast

December 5, 2025 - A powerful Arctic cold front has gripped much of the central and eastern United States, plunging temperatures well below seasonal averages and setting new low-temperature records across several states. The frigid weather, which started on Thursday, has been especially harsh in regions stretching from Iowa and Michigan to New York.

According to Marc Chenard, a meteorologist at the U.S. Weather Prediction Center, the extreme cold is a result of shifts in the polar vortex, which has allowed cold air from Canada to sweep down into the northern U.S. These temperatures have dropped up to 20F below normal, making this cold snap the most severe of the season so far. It is expected to persist over the coming weeks, likely continuing into mid-December, despite the official start of winter still being more than two weeks away.

The Arctic blast has affected large parts of the country, from the northern Plains to the Great Lakes region, Ohio Valley, and even extending into the Mid-Atlantic and New England. While temperatures in the Southeast will remain above freezing, colder-than-usual conditions are still expected to dip into the region.

In some parts of Indiana and Oklahoma, forecasts predict freezing fog, which can create hazardous road conditions due to the formation of black icethin, invisible ice that forms when water droplets freeze on cold surfaces.

On Thursday, several locations in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota recorded new low-temperature records. Iowa, which has kept weather records since 1895, saw a dramatic drop in temperatures. The small town of Spencer, Iowa, set a new all-time low of -19F, surpassing the previous record of -9F set in 2005.

In Michigan, Detroit reached a record low of 5F on Friday morning, breaking the previous record by one degree. Similarly, airports in New York City, including John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia, both recorded temperatures of 20F, either setting or matching their all-time lows for the date.

Upstate New York also saw record-breaking cold, with temperatures plunging to -22F, surpassing the previous record low of -20F.

As the Arctic cold persists, snow is expected to fall in several areas of the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Rockies through Saturday. A storm system moving across the northern Plains and Midwest could bring significant snowfall, intensifying the already severe weather conditions.